President Barack Obama

Republicans and other fiscal conservatives keep insisting on more federal austerity and a smaller government. Without much fanfare or acknowledgement, they've already gotten much of both. Another round of huge cuts, known as the "sequester," will hit beginning March 1.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac extended their disaster-relief policies to borrowers whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The aid applies to property owners living in towns and cities along the eastern United States that have been declared disaster areas by President Obama.

President Barack Obama made a cross-country swing for cash and Hispanic support Monday amid signs that Republican rival Mitt Romney is cutting into his lead in some key swing states as the campaign enters its final four weeks.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stayed within striking distance of President Barack Obama in a Reuters/Ipsos poll on Sunday, two-points behind the Democrat for the third straight day after winning last week's debate in Denver.

U.S. employers added 96,000 jobs last month, a weak figure that could slow the momentum President Obama hoped to gain from his speech Thursday night to the Democratic National Convention. The unemployment rate fell -- but only because more people stopped looking for work.

In the State of the Union address in January, President Barack Obama set a goal of getting 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015. Now he's proposed $7,500 rebates, instead of tax credits, to reach that goal.

After a revolt by unhappy Democrats, the tax bill has finally passed. The Obama tax cut compromise extends Bush-era tax reductions on income, capital gains and dividends through 2012. But there were also some changes. Here's how the tax bill affects you.

Recognizing that voters are worried about the economy, President Obama is offering an olive branch to his critics with a $50 billion infrastructure plan and a deal to make the R&D tax credit permanent. Conservatives say it's too little too late, but the game is far from over for the Democrats.

After the BP disaster, the Minerals Management Service is under fire, and a presidential commission will hold a hearing. A report reveals how the MMS became partner with the industry it regulates, often putting revenue ahead of safety.

The new financial reform law may have made it easier for the SEC to keep secrets. Under the regulations, the SEC is exempt from having to disclose records or information derived from "surveillance, risk assessments, or other regulatory and oversight activities," FoxBusiness.com reports.

The future of the government-backed mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which critics have accused of exacerbating the meltdown in the U.S. housing market, will be discussed next month at a conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

BP's stock fell more than 5% in early Wednesday trading as the company's CEO Tony Hayward prepared to meet with President Barack Obama over the Gulf oil spill. Late Tuesday the president delivered an address on the Gulf oil spill that was widely met with criticism.